Place a long piece of nonstick aluminum foil into an oval slow cooker bowl, with nonstick side facing up, so that it is flush with bowl and ends hang out over sides. In a large bowl, combine turkey, onion, green pepper, egg, garlic, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, bread crumbs, 1/3 cup cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, garlic salt and black pepper.

Place the meatloaf mixture in slow cooker and form into a 9-inch by 5-inch log. Cover and cook on high 2 1/2 hours or on low 4 1/2 hours or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer. About 30 minutes before cooking is complete, place remaining 1/4 cup tomato sauce in a small bowl and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Pour tomato sauce mixture over meatloaf; cover and continue to cook. Serve immediately once finished.

Turkey MeatloafFrom the pantry

07/03/14By Lauren Mifsud

The slow cooker is quickly turning into my best friend, and this recipe is quickly turning into one of my favorites.

Growing up, I suffered through my mom’s countless attempts at making meatloaf. She typically added ketchup, Worcestershire sauce or some combination of the two into a giant ball of meat that always ended up lacking flavor or originality.

It was somewhat surprising, because my mom makes delicious meatballs, so you’d think meatloaf wouldn’t be too far out of her wheelhouse. Wrong. And as it turns out, I inherited her genes of terrible meatloaf making — until I found this recipe for Italian Turkey Meatloaf from Family Circle.

The final product of this recipe is a delicious, moist meatloaf. Packed with flavor, and a few pantry ingredients, it’s more like a giant meatball than a traditional meatloaf, and maybe that’s why I like it so much.

Also, I somehow tricked my husband, who cringes at the word meatloaf, into liking this dish.

Using tomato sauce, this meatloaf combines all of the ingredients of a meatloaf — namely meat, spices and some type of liquid and breadcrumb binder — with traditional Italian seasonings like tomato sauce, garlic and Parmesan cheese.

When I’ve made meatloaf in the past, it has always turned out overcooked and dry. Cooking this recipe in the slow cooker prevented that from happening, which was an added bonus. In a pinch, you could easily bake the meatloaf, which I’ve done, but I’ve found that the slow cooker offers the better finished product.

Using tomato sauce in meatloaf was something new to me as well. While I usually like to make homemade sauce, this recipe is the perfect use of any leftover tomato sauce from a can or jar you might have in your pantry or fridge. The other seasonings and veggies boost the flavor of the sauce, so even if it’s not flavorful on its own, it really punches up this recipe.

The Italian seasoning can be premade or made on the fly depending on your preferences, and I used Italian breadcrumbs for extra flavor as well. I’ve made this recipe with ground beef and ground turkey, and think that turkey is better if you don’t want your meatloaf to taste exactly like a giant Italian meatball.

In my undying love for garlic, I added more than ½ teaspoon but think any amount will suffice.

I also added a pinch more Parmesan cheese for good measure.

Overall, this recipe is quick and simple, and the finished product is delicious. Served with a salad or mashed potatoes, this meatloaf makes for a great meal — and even better meatloaf sandwiches the next day!